Thread holder for weft-replenishing looms



June 24, 1930. J. F. 'FINSLEY THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOKS Filed Dec. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet v 1 June 24, 1930. J. F. TINSLEY 1,766,850

THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING'LOOIS Filed Dec. 6, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 2 )7 Wain (3K5.

Patented June 24, 1930 Parr eerie 'JOHN F. TINSLEY, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON &

KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A

MASSACHUSETTS THREAD HOLDER FOE "WEFT BEPLENISHING LOOMS Application filed December 6, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in thread holders for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide means whereby slack may be taken up as it occurs in the weft ends extending from reserve bobbins.

In the usual multicolor weft replenishing loom there are a plurality of vertical stacks of reserve bobbins from each of which extend weft ends. These ends are customarily fastened to a thread holder so that weaving may continue and the bobbin be at least partly threaded during the first pick after transfer. As the bobbin descends toward transfer position the weft ends becomeslack, an unfavorable condition which may be increased should the bobbins rotate on their axes in a way to unwind the weft. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a holder and tensioner for each weft end effective to permit taking up of slack during the normal running of the loom, but operative to hold all the weft ends tightly during the pick following transfer.

At the time of transfer there are several parts of the magazine which receive a motion, one of these of course being the transferrer arm. The supports for the bobbins are also given a motion due to the bobbins passing between them and there are certain parts of the magazine which effect resetting of the latter which also have motions :u'companying the actual transfer of a full bobbin into a depleted shuttle. It is an important object of my present invention to mak use of one or another of theseparts which have a normal movement at the time of transfer to cause my improved thread holder to pinch or clamp the weft end of the bobbin about to be transferred;

It is another object of my present invention to provide a spring such'that when freed from strain the coils will be closed, but which in actual use is expanded so that the coils thereof are separated to permit weft ends from the reserve bobbins to pass between the coils and be held taut by weighted members, the coils of the spring being closed at each transfer and remaining closed until after the time of. picking so Serial No. 324,132.

that when a fresh bobbin passes into action sion spring the coils of which tend normally to close and are held separated by a device which is under control of the n'iechanism previously described.

.ln the usual form ofmulticolor weft replenishing loom there is a regularly moving member which when moving in one direction cooperates with a feeler controlled element and when moving in the opposite direction is adapted to cooperate with a magazine part to advance a bobbin toward transfer. position should the weft in the running shuttle be depleted. These movements of the member are regularly recurring but "on different picks, the motion which cooperates with the magazine occurring after the lay has reached front center for detection of weft and also after the lay has reached top center for picking. It is a further object of my present invention to make use of this moving member which is a part of the regular equipment of a multicolor magazine to restore the thread holder uo normal position.

.Vith these and other objects in view which will appearas the description pros,

ceeds my invention resides in the combina tion and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In tho;accompanying drawings wherein a coz'ivenient embodiment of my lllVGlllllOll lSiset forth,

Fig. 1 1s a front elevation of a weft replenisl'nng mechanism of the multicolor type having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 1s a horizontal section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, I t

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailedvertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical section on line 4- of Fig. 2, and r.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionon line 5-5 'of Fig. 1 showing the relation of thethread holder controlling member together with controlling devices for the latter.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and'2g 100 CORPORATION 011 I have shown a loom frame 10 on which is mounted a magazine designated generally at M. The magazine has inside and outside plates 11 and 12, respectively, and as shown in Fig. 2 the inside plate is provided with a plurality of vertical grooves 13 while the outside plate is provided with corresponding grooves 14. The larger grooves 13 are for the butts of the bobbins while the smaller grooves let are for the bobbin tips and each groove 13 with its corresponding groove let forms a bobbin compartment along with reserve bobbins move toward transfer position.

A transferrer arm 15 is pivotally mounted on. a stud 16 held to the frame of the maga zine and normally held up by a torsion spring 17. The transferrer arm has a pair of depending 18 by means of which the transferrer may be lowered by mechanism not shown but well understood; The inner and outer plates are held together by means of tie rods 19 which space said plates the proper distance to accommodate bobbin B.

A stand 20 is fixed to the loom frame and has vertically reciprocating therein a block 21. to the upper end of which is pivoted as at 22 an actuator lever 23. The latter cooperates with a controller 2% shown in section in Fig. 1, said controller being moved out of the path of the lever when sutlicient weft is present but remaining in the path when substantial exhaustion of weft is indicated by the feeler. The left hand end of the lever 23 as shown in Fig. 1 is connected to an upwardly extending rod 24 which cooperates with a rocking lever 22% to engage and cause movement of certain parts of the magazine not shown herein.

During the normal running of the loom the block 21 will be given a vertically reciprocating movement by means of a rod 26 which extends to the lower part of the loom to'have operative relation with a cam not shown. The operation of the cam is such that the rod 26 is moved downwardly when the lav is in its forward position and the shuttle is under the magazine. At a latter time in the complete cycle of the magazine the rodQG will be moved upwardly, this upward movement occurring as soon after the change either in the box motion or the pattern mechanism controlling the box motion as possible. T ese changes of the pattern mechanism and the box motionalways occur after picking or after the lay has passed top center on its backward movement, so that the upward movement of the rod 25 occurs a short time after but never before the picking of the shuttl This point-is of importance as it has a direct bearing on the operation of the device to be described hereinafter. It will also be understood that the trans. ferrer arm is given a downward movement by mechanism not shown. at the time of transfer, this movement being accompanied by a forward motion on the part of the legs 18.

All of the matter thus far described is of common construction, and may be made as set forth in prior Patent No. 1,030,748.

The weft ends 1V which extend from the reserve bobbins are found to become slack as the upper bobbins move toward lower position. As previously sta ed also the rolling of the bobbins on their axes may increase the slackness of the weft ends. In order to keep all of the threads extending from the bobbins in the magazine taut and in a comparatively elevated position where they will not become entangled with the lay or any part of the lay T provide a guide for said weft ends which is illustrated particularly in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 2, l have extended the rear lower tie rod and have secured thereto an arm 30 which projects outwardly in a direction generally parallel to the bobbins. There is secured to said arm 30 the rear end 31 of a tension spring 32 the coils of whichweight G actuated by gravity and acting to hold the weft ends taut.

The forward lower tie rod 19 is extended and has secured thereto anothe' arm 33 which may be held in adjusted position both angularly and longitudinally on the tie red by means of a screw 34. As shown more particularly in Fig. 1 said arm is provided with an upwardly extending stud 35 which affords the pivotal support for a lever 36. Said lever has an outwardly extending aru-i 37 to which is connected the forward end 38 of the spring 82.

Arm has a horizontal extension 39 extending inwardly toward the loom as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. his exten sion, as shown in detail in Fig. 3, is provided with a vertically movable plunger d0 surrounded by a compression spring l1 which lies between a shoulder 42 on the plunger and a portion of the extension 39. The up per end of the spring plunger is provided with a head e3 which is formed substantially as shown in Fig. 3.

The aforesaid lever 36 has an inwardly projecting arm 44 which lies over the extension 39 and is provided on its under face with depending web l5 in which are formed a pair of notches 4.6 and li which may be located respectively behind and in front of a downwardly extending point 4-8 made as part of the web 15. This point is formed by a pair of inclined surfaces which form in part the notches l6 and 6L7.

The lever 36 is extended beyond the plunger 40 in the form of a finger 50 shown in cross section in Fig. 4. This finger cooperates with resetting means controlled by the regularly moving vertical rod 26. The latter has secured thereto a bracket 51 held in adjusted longitudinal and angular position on said rod 26 by screws 52. A sul stantially vertical slide bearing 53 is formed as a part of the bracket 51 and has vertically extending therethrough a resetting rod the lower end of which may be threaded as at 55. Upper and lower check nuts 56 and 57, respectively, determine the longitudinal position of the resetting rod 54 with respect to the rod 26.

The upper end of said resetting rod 54 is provided with a cam 58 as shown in detail in Fig. 4, said cam having an inclined surface 59 adapted for engagement with the forward portion of the linger 50. It is to be understood that the rod 54 or at least tlat portion of it which carries the cam 58 moves in a vertical line in front of the finger 50 and it will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 5 that said finger 50 lies in front of one or another of the depending legs 18 of the transferrer arm.

From the preceding description it is believed the operation of the device will be apparent. The parts will normally be in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the coils of the spring 32 separated so as to permit free movement of the weft ends between the several coils of the spring under action of the weights G. By the operation of these weights the weft ends will be held taut as shown in Fig. 1 so as to be out of the path of any moving parts which might otherwise damage them. The parts remain inthe position shown in Fig. 2 because of the cooperation between head 43 and the forward notch 47. The spring 41 is sufiiciently strong to hold the tension spring 32 in its normal expanded position and spring 32 is comparatively light, having a number of coils to accommodate the several ends from the reserve bobbins.

At the time of transfer, as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 5, the legs 18 move forwardly and in so doing engage the finger 50 to move the latter and therefore the arm 44 of the lever 36 forwardly. This movement on the part of the transferrer arm is positive and overpowers the spring 41, requiring the spring plunger 40 to move downwardly along one of the inclined surfaces 49 until said plunger passes the point 48, after which the spring 41 will act to move the finger 5O forwardly independently of any movement on the part of the transferrer arm. The parts preferably are so proportioned that the finger 50 will be held by the spring plunger in a position slightly in front of the legs 18 when the latter occupy their foremost position.

This movement on the part of arm 44 is accompanied by a rearward movement of arm 37 the result of which is to permit the closing of the coils in spring 32. At this time, therefore, all of the weft ends are held clamped between the coils of the spring so that when the freshly supplied shuttle not shown is picked across the loom the end extending from the full bobbin in the shuttle will be held as is necessary in order to effect threading of the shuttle and a continuance of the weaving operation.

It is to be understood that during the forward movement of the le s 18 and the movement of the lever 36, the rod 54 is in lower position. As previously described, however,

shortly after the shuttle has beenpicked the rod 26 will be given its normal upward movement and will therefore carry the resetting rod 54 upwardly, causing surface 59 of the cam 58 to engage the finger 50 and move the same rearwardly as suggested in Fig. 4. The upward movement of the rod 54 and the extent and inclination of the surface 59 are such that the point 48 of the web 45 will be moved rearwardly a sufficient distance to bring the forward inclined surface 49 of the web 48 in engagement with the head 42 of the plunger. The latter will thereafter act independently of the resetting rod to restore the lever 36 to its normal position. Here also it is desirable that the spring plunger co-act with the web 45 to hold the finger 50 in a position sufiiciently behind the cam 58 so that as the latter reeiprocates normally it will not engage said finger.

From the description given it will be seen that the spring 41 not only acts to hold tl e coils of the tension spring expanded for the purpose previously described but also holds the finger 50 in such a position that it will not be engaged during the regular operation of the loom by the cam 58. It is to be understood that the operation described in connection ith the resetting of the device takes place after picking of the replenished shuttle, and therefore of course too late in. the cycle of the pick to interfere with the proper threading of the shuttle and continuance of the weaving operation.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means normally operative to take up slack in the weft ends extending from the reserve bobbins and have also provided for temporarily clamping the threads at the time of the first pick following transfer. Again, itwill be seen that I make use of a part of the regular equipment of an automatic loom to effect clamping of the weft ends, and that I also employ a regular part of multicolor weft replenishing mechanisms to reset the thread holding device to its normal position. It will further be seen that the spring plunger acts not only to hold the coils of the spring 32 normally extended,

but also holds the lever 36 in such a position that it will not be subjected to contact with the cam 58 as the loom continues to operate.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is;

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends aweft end, means normally operative to take up slack occurring in the weft ends, and means operative during the pick following transfer to clamp the weft ends and render the first named means inoperative.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, means normally operative to take up slack occurring in the weft ends, and means operative during the pick following transfer to clamp the weft ends.

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a guide normally having open spaces through which tie weft ends may move, and means acting during the pick following transfer to close said spaces and prevent the weft ends from moving through said spaces.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end a guide meansfor the weft ends normally disposed to permit movement of the weftthreads thcrethrough, and means acting during the first pick following trans-fer to clamp said weft ends to prevent the same from moving in the guide means.-

In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a coil spring, the coils of which are normally separated to deline spaces through which the weft ends may move. and mechanism operative during the first pick following transfer to close the coils of the spring to clamp the weft ends and prevent movement of the latter through the coils of the spring.

(3. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a coil spring the coils of which are normally open to define spaces in whit-lithe weft ends may move, said spring being normally a closed coil spring. and means operative during the first pick following transfer to close the coils to clamp the weft ends.

7. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a. weft end, a normally closed coil spring which during the normal operation of the loom is placed under tension to define spaces between the coils thereof in which the weft ends may move, and means to remove the tension so that said coils may move together during the pick of the loom following traimfer.

S. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a normally closed coil spring, means acting during the normal operation of the loom to hold said spring expanded so that the coils thereof will be separated to define spaces in which the weft ends; may move, and mechanism operative during the first pick following transfer to remove the tension from said spring and permit the coils thereof to move together to clamp the weft ends.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a normally closed coil spring, a controller for said spring, and means to move said controller to expand the spring during normal operation of the loom and to move said controller to permit contraction of the spring for the. purpose of clamping the weft ends during the pick following transfer.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality or reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a normally closed coil spring, a controller for the spring, means to hold said controller in. position to expand the spring during normal operation of the loom so that the coils of the spring will be separated to define spaces in which the weft ends may more, and means operative upon transfer and effective during the pick following transfer to move said controller to a position where the coils of the spring may move together to clamp the weft ends.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, transferrer mechanism, a member normally disposed to present spaces through which the weft ends may move, and mechanism controlled by the transferrer at the time of transfer to close said spaces to clamp the weft ends.

12. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins rotatable on their axes they await transfer and from each of which extends a weft end, transfer mechanism, a controller, a thread clamping device operatively connected to the controller and normally held by the latter in non-clamping position, said transfer mechanism at the time of transfer moving the controller to move the clamping member to clamping position with respect to the weft ends.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins rotatable on their axes as they await transfer and from each of which extends a weft end, a clamp for the weft ends normally in non-clamping position, and means to move the clamp to thread clamping position during the first pick followin transfer.

ll. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins rotatable on their axes as they await transfer and from each of which extends a weft end, a weft replenishing mechanism, a thread clamp normally in non-clamping position and opera tively related to the weft ends, and connections between the replenishing mechanism and said clamp to move the latter to thread clamping position during the pick following transfer.

15. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a normally closed coil spring, transferrer mechanism, means to hold the spring normally in non-clamping position with the coils thereof separated to define spaces in which the weft ends may move, said means being operatively related to the transferrer mechanism to move the spring so that the coils of the latter will be in clamping position to prevent movement of the weft ends during the pick following transfer.

16. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a normally closed coil spring, a controller for the spring, yielding means to hold the controller in position to expand the spring so that the coils of the latter will be separated to present spaces through which the weft ends may move, and mechanism to move said controller against the action of the last named means to move the coils of the spring together to clamp the weft ends.

17. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a normally closed coil spring, a lever operatively connected to the spring, yielding means to hold the lever in such a position as to normally tension the spring to separate the coils of the latter to present spaces through which the weft ends may move, and means operat1ve prior to the pick of the loom following transfer to move said lever against the action of the yielding means to close the coils of the spring.

18. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins rotatable on their axes as they await transfer and from each of which extends a weft end, a clamp for the weft ends normally in non-clamping position, and means operative before the pick immediately following transfer to move the clamp to thread clamping position.

19. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a normally closed coil spring, a lever operatively connected to the spring, yielding means to hold the lever in such a position as to normally tension the spring to separate the coils of the latter to present spaces through which the weft ends may move, and means operative prior to the pick of the loom following transfer to move said lever against the action of the yielding means to close the coils of the spring, said yielding means normally exerting greater pressure on the lever than is exerted by said spring.

20. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins rotatable on their axes as they await transfer and from each of which extends a weft end, a member having a normal movement in the cycle of the loom following shortly after the pick occurring immediately after transfer, a thread clamp for the weft ends normally in non-clamping position and effective to hold the weft ends during the pick following transfer, and connections between said member and the clamp to move the clamp to non-clamping position when said member has its normal movement.

21. In a weft replenishing loom having av plurality of reserve bobbins from each of" which extends a weft end, a member having a normal movement in the cycle of the loom following shortly after the pick occurring immediately after transfer, a transferrer mechanism, and a thread clamping member for the weft ends, said clamping member being normally ineffective to clamp weft ends and disposed to permit movement of the weft ends with respect thereto, the trans-s ferrer mechanism being effective upon oporation thereof to move the thread clamp to thread clamping position, and said member at a. later point in the cycle of the loom being effective to restore the clamp to normal non-clamping position.

22. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a member having a normal movement in the cycle of the loom,

following shortly, after the pick occurring immediately after transfer, a spring, a controller for the spring, transfer mechanism, said transfer mechanism moving the controller to move the spring to clamping posh,

tion and the said member effective at a later time in the cycle of the loom to move the controller to move the spring to non-clamping position.

23. In a weft replenishing loom having ag plurality of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a thread clamp normally in non-clamping position with respect to the weft ends, a controller operatively connected to the thread clamp transfer mechanism, a member having a normal movement at a time in the cycle of the loom following closely upon a transfer, said transfer mechanism moving the controller to,

move the clamp to thread clamping position and a second member operative at a later point in the cycle of the pick of the loom to move the clamp to non-clumping position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto :zffixcd my signature.

JOHN F. TINSLEY. 

